Preview: Hickory Grove Christian Lions vs. High Point Christian Academy Cougars
Hickory Grove Christian is on a seven-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while High Point Christian Academy is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Hickory Grove Christian Lions will take on the High Point Christian Academy Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Friday, everything went Hickory Grove Christian's way against Asheville Christian Academy as Hickory Grove Christian made off with a 54-28 win. The result was nothing new for Hickory Grove Christian, who have now won seven contests by 26 points or more so far this season.
Anthony Hawkins was on fire: he rushed for 352 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 14.7 yards per carry. Hawkins is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last five games he's played. Gavin Thompson was another key contributor, rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries.
Meanwhile, High Point Christian Academy was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 36-31 to Asheville School (Independent).
Despite the loss, High Point Christian Academy saw an underclassman step up: Danarius Gibson rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns, and also picked up 62 receiving yards. Jaiquan Clay also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
Even if they lost, High Point Christian Academy's defensive line still kept up the pressure with seven sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Mack Johnson and Josh Smith who racked up five sacks between them.
Hickory Grove Christian's win lifted them to 8-0 while High Point Christian Academy's loss dropped them down to 7-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Hickory Grove Christian has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 304.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like High Point Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 168.2 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Hickory Grove Christian came up short against High Point Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in November of 2022, falling 19-7. Can Hickory Grove Christian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
